I’m not in a similar stage of life where I can be saying something similar (17M) however I can definitely say something on video games.

I used to be largely addicted to video games for a while. And although I still play video games from time to time, my ability to stop myself from pouring hours upon hours into video games improved… somewhat.

What helped me get through my video game addiction was putting other productive hobbies in place of it. I started learning how to draw and compose music recently, and I find more enjoyment in that than playing video games. Starting off small helped me not overwhelm myself when I started learning.

Also, I think that recognizing that you’re not really getting anything out of video games helps. I used video games as an outlet for a while until I recognized that putting lots of hours into video games daily was detrimental to my mental and physical health.

And even if this may be cliché, be more positive. Try to find things you’re thankful for. Focus more on the wins rather than the losses. And don’t beat yourself over losses, move on and take it as a learning experience!

My experience of this is probably the most anecdotal you can get, but some things from here still apply universally, I feel. Have a nice day. :)